There have been questions raised by the FutonCritic (usually an accurate source) citing a 11 episode AR14 vs. the 12 episodes that I have been showing. It is now apparent that it was the Futon Critic who was wrong. AR14 is a 12 episode race.

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RFF's Golden Rule:Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.

I would not conclude that based on the information from the blogger, who I recall to be not specific on the exact time of sighting. I would expect that the flight could be well after midnight.

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The assumption that World Race Productions are trying to minimize air fare for Phil is possible, but I don't consider it likely. They are likely to ticket him just like the racers, which means in Y class with total flexibility.

I think I can back up this assumption to some extent. As of last November, only Thai, Jet and Indian Air had flights from Delhi to Bangkok. I can't access the Indian Airlines website (stupid Mainland China censorship!), but neither Jet Airways nor Thai Airways had other flights to Bangkok at night. Will check Indian Airlines once I get home!

Now even if Phil were to be ticketed as the racers, cost savings can still be earned by flying a shorter distance?

Hmm, I don't think Phil would have to go from (Bangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kolkata or Mumbai) to Delhi, and then change flights to get to Bangkok; if he could have simply hopped on the direct, saving him at least a connection and several hours... The remaining places look possible though!

Neobie, let me offer an alternate opinion on the premise that you have for when the Delhi sighting would have taken place. I believe that it happened on the way into the final Indian city, with changing planes in Delhi. I do not think it happened on the way from the final Indian city through Delhi to Bangkok. My way the cities you mentioned are not ruled out except by not having after-midnight flights from Delhi. The "remaining places" are not possible by that logic and neither are Bangalore, Chennai, or Kolkata.

I will further state that there are two things we do don't know, one being flights from smaller Indian cities like Pune for example and the other the schedules of small Indian airlines that do do make the general-purpose reservations systems that I use for flight information. If time permits I will take a look at this.

Aah, I get your drift Apskip. But according to the spoiler Phil was flying from Delhi to Bangkok?

Managed to get on the Air India website! They don't have evening directs to Bangkok though (and I really don't think Phil would connect through Mumbai just for the heck of it), so I maintain that these are the only two possible flights that he could have been on?

TG316, Fridays 0005-05359W64, Fridays 0100-0655

Now assuming the theory works, Goa wouldn't work as a destination. Air India (IC594) has a flight from Goa to Bangalore, Thursdays 2115 to 2210, which connects well to the flight to Bangkok at 0030. Flight time from Goa to Delhi is 150 minutes, which means Phil would definitely save time (and possibly money) travelling through Bangalore.

Hyderabad doesn't look good either, with a Jet Airways (9W3548) flying from Hyderabad to Bangalore 2125 to 2250.

Kochi's last flight to Delhi is Jet Airways (9W7012) 1610 to 1920, and Phil has better options through Chennai and Bangalore. However, these cities are connected via Kingfisher and Paramount Airlines, and I'm not sure if Phil would take a less established airline?

Varanasi connects best through Delhi, but all flights to Delhi leave before the direct TG8821 (Thursdays 1630-2115) that goes straight to Bangkok. If Phil could have taken the direct, why connect through Delhi? (Damn, I wanted Varanasi!)

Both Ahmedabad and Jaipur look possible. Jet Airways (9W706) flies from Ahmedabad to Delhi Thursdays 2030 to 2150, and Air India (IC895) flies from Jaipur to Delhi Thursdays 1815 to 1855. There are flights that can get Phil from Ahmedabad to Mumbai to Bangkok, but they're not so much better than Delhi than to rule a Delhi transfer out. For Jaipur though, Delhi is solid.

Phenomonal. But you put more than enough in Mrs. Shrek. I wish I could contribute more but I dont have a distinct thing that I can do like most of you

A lot of it doesn't involve any special skill except persistence. It is just slow hard work trawling thru page after page of possibilities until you maybe find what you are looking for, or maybe not....

Neobie,First, I do concur with your after-midnight flights Delhi ot Bangkok. The only ones in that category are 9W64 and TG316.

Second, I do concur with your priniciples of closer-to-Delhi and no direct flight to Bangkok.

On the specifics of cities, I had ot start all over again as a result of your pointing out that Phil was sighted on the way to Bangkok sometime near midnight between Thursday Nov. 13 and Friday Nov. 14. That means i had all my flight information in the wrong direction. That is easy enough to correct and you get different conclusions that I originally did when it is corrected. The cities of Srinagar, Madurai and unfortuantely Varanasi are out for sure according to our methods. The other cities are as follows in last flight arriving before midnight:

Erm... Because we're bored, and because we can? (You shall not make me look for Swiss chalet windows!)

We know Phil is only ready to leave Delhi after 9.55am on Thursday, or he would have made an earlier TG324 to Bangkok, leaving at 11.55am. Instead he took a flight that evening. If Phil flew into Delhi airport, we could look at a list of all flights arriving after 9.55am on Thursdays... (Edited for clarity, thanks Apskip!)

Close to impossible; these cities have direct flights to Bangkok that depart after the Delhi flight:Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Varanasi

Very unlikely; these cities have Indian/Jet Air flights superior to a Delhi connection, with Phil saving time and distance:Aurangabad, Vishakhapatnam, Kochi, Goa, Guwahati, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad

Unlikely; these airports connect best through Delhi, but are tiny airports with no more than three departures a day:Leh, Shimla, Gwalior, Surat Gujarat, Jodhpur, Dharamsala, Dehra Dun, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Agra

Possible; this flight, through Kolkata, is superior to a Delhi connection, but uses the smaller airline Kingfisher:Ranchi

Neobie,Between what you ahve done and what I have done, the "waterfront has been covered". Until there is some hint of new information, we just have to sit and wait. One comment I have for you is that two times you quoted as "AM" shoudl really be "PM". Phil was not spoted in the middle of the day, he was spotted near midnight. Also, 2 hours to connect at Delhi airport only applies when you aer going from one terminal to another. Aren't some international flights in the terminal adjacent to the domestic terminal? If so, then something closer to 1 hour ought to be oK.

The location of the India leg could be Delhi, but I doubt it. There was just 2 legs in AR13 in Delhi.

As for taking the trian, that is something contestants occasionally have to do, but not Phil. World Race Productions knows the value of his time and would only send him on a train for short distances(which could be done by taxi just as easily).

Erm... Because we're bored, and because we can? (You shall not make me look for Swiss chalet windows!)

If the leg turns out to be in Delhi I will jump off a tall building...

Come over to the dark side Neobie! You don't want to be left out of all the fun do you? Don't jump without me! we can hold hands on the way down I can see why TPTB love India, we have never had a sighting of teams in all the seasons they have been there, perfect right?Shudders at the thought of another horrible train ride insert anywhere India here.Good job Neobie and Apskips

puddin, to be perfectly fair about it, I doubt that World Race Productions schedules India to prevent us from learning about that leg. I suspect something more mundane like the viewer-pleasing footage that always results from short-term exposure to the Indian culture. Despite the fact that hundreds of millions in India speak at least rudimentary English, there is probably 5 times as many Indians that speak no English. That culture clash is always interesting to me and I bet to most Amazing Race viewers.

puddin, to be perfectly fair about it, I doubt that World Race Productions schedules India to prevent us from learning about that leg. I suspect something more mundane like the viewer-pleasing footage that always results from short-term exposure to the Indian culture. Despite the fact that hundreds of millions in India speak at least rudimentary English, there is probably 5 times as many Indians that speak no English. That culture clash is always interesting to me and I bet to most Amazing Race viewers.

What I find most interesting is the fit LH457/LH3726 has with the observer comments about seeing 7 teams in Frankfurt Airport the morning of Saturday Nov. 1. I expect no other reason to go to Frankfurt except to connect to Zurich. There are 10 nonstop flights on Saturday between Frankfurt and Zurich, so if any are delayed there are alternatives.

The train schedule from Zurich to Bellinzona to Locarno indicates that 3 1/4 hours is required. Here is is:

1.First there is a comment on what happens between Phuket and Guilin. The most obvious possibility is a leg in Bangkok, but if WRP has a "Been there, done that" attitude like me, I want to see somewhere else in southeast Asia next.2. We haven't a clue on where in India AR14 is going except that air connections through Delhi on to Bangkok and Phuket are probable. We know that you can easily get to Phuket via Singapore alao.

Note: some of those above are too early to get if the taditional Amazing Race start timing holds.

What I find most interesting is the fit LH457/LH3726 has with the observer comments about seeing 7 teams in Frankfurt Airport the morning of Saturday Nov. 1. I expect no other reason to go to Frankfurt except to connect to Zurich. There are 10 nonstop flights on Saturday between Frankfurt and Zurich, so if any are delayed there are alternatives.

The train schedule from Zurich to Bellinzona to Locarno indicates that 3 1/4 hours is required. Here is is:

Based on the above, it seems more likely that teams flew to Salzburg on Nov. 4. In order to do that the optimal route is to take a train from Interlaken to Bern(somtimes changing first in Spiez) and then change for Bern to Zurich. The trains that fit are:

First train is dep. Interlaken West 522 transfer at Bern, arr. Zurich HB 0728, transfer there to Zurich Airport dep. HB 0746 arr. Airport 0747, a difficult 23 minute connection to make the first flight below from Zurich airport; see a. below for best flightNext is dep. Interlaken West 1031 transfer at Bern, arr. Zurich HB 1228 dep.HB 1237 arr. Airport 1246; see b. below for best flight Last is dep. Interlaken West 1729 transfer at Spiez and Bern, arr. Zurich HB 1928, dep. HB 1937 arr. Airport 1946; see c. below for best flight

At Zurich there are several nonstop flights to Salzburg, each with a connection from one of the train trips above:

Nov. 21 leg 12 return from Beijing to U.S. for Finish Line in Hawaii via TokyoPEK NRT on Air China has several choices:CA6651/NH956 0845 1305CA925 0930 1350CA167 1350 1750

Continuing on from Tokyo-Narita to Honolulu (NRT to HNL), there are 9 choices with departures between 645pm and 10pm. With the 6 hours 45 minute flying team and 5 hour time difference, these flights arrive HNL 0630 to 0950. The most logical choice to me would be UA880 NRT HNL 1925 0710+1. All these are same day due to crossing the International Date Line.

Finish Line on which Hawaiian island not known yet although I guess Oahu now for convenience

Thanks slowhatch, I went through the threads seeing if I could find one of Chateau's time computations. My eyes are shot from looking at white buildings and green shutters and wondered if I had missed it....

For you SoCal experts, what do you figure total time from Los Alamitos JFB to ticket counter at LAX, taking into account Sat morning drive time, time for parking car, and shuttle bus to terminal counters?

Thanks slowhatch, I went through the threads seeing if I could find one of Chateau's time computations. My eyes are shot from looking at white buildings and green shutters and wondered if I had missed it....

For you SoCal experts, what do you figure total time from Los Alamitos JFB to ticket counter at LAX, taking into account Sat morning drive time, time for parking car, and shuttle bus to terminal counters?

Dr. Rox,Why will they will be on roads? How about on a military helicopter?

I'll throw in a little more local knowledge and then I'll shut up.It all depends on which side of the runway you're on. If you're on the south side, taking Valleyview will dump you directly on the 405 feeder (try routing it from Orangewood next to the Navy golf course and you'll see what I mean). The teams are on the north side; in addition to the longer route, the traffic (weekday mornings, at least) on the north 605 will back up (for miles, sometimes) starting at the I-5 junction. Teams could save time going right instead of left on Katella (and avoid the red-light-camera intersection at Los Alamitos blvd. ) and then down Valleyview, but it would be counterintuitive.

I think you have accidentlally added a day here, because of the confusing midnight arrival. I think teams possibly have some tasks around the Salzburg area on the morning of Nov 4, then make their way to Bucharest, arriving around midnight Nov4-5, not midnight Nov5-6. Your timeline has teams leaving Salzburg on morning of Nov 5, when they have already been seen in Bucharest.

Well, I am still very new at this. I do not have the ability, yet, to look at the whole race as you experts do. I never noticed it till today as I was filling in my new race "calendar." If I had noticed it sooner, I would have mentioned it.